Description

The Celestron CGEM DX 1100 HD combines Celestron's newly designed CGEM DX Computerized Equatorial mount with its new EdgeHD optical system. With an optical tube assembly weighing only 28 lbs, this telescope is still portable enough to be taken to dark skies, and has 89% more light gathering power than an 8" telescope and 40% more than the 9.25".

Celestron CGEM DX Equatorial Mount

The Celestron CGEM DX mount is the newest member of our fully computerized Equatorial mount series capable of carrying Celestron’s high-end 11" and 14" optical tubes. The CGE PRO style, 2.75" leg tripod holds even our 14" optics securely and vibration free, which is ideal for both imaging and visual observing. Capable of holding 50 lbs of payload and slewing at 5° per second, you will be able to instantly point to any of the celestial objects in the database.

German Equatorial mounts are recognized for their rock solid stability, simple balancing and easy accessibility for attaching accessories. With sophisticated software features like the Hibernate function, the CGEM DX can maintain its star alignment night after night without needing to be re-aligned, making it an excellent choice for a permanent observatory facility.

Ergonomic Design - CGEM DX was designed to be ergonomically friendly with large Altitude and Azimuth adjustment knobs for quick and easy polar alignment adjustment. The internal RA and DEC motor wiring provides a clean look and an easy and trouble free set up. Innovation - The CGEM DX series has a new innovative Polar alignment procedure called All-Star™. All-Star allows users to choose any bright star, while the software calculates and assists with polar alignment. Another great feature of the CGEM DX sure to please astroimagers, is the Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PEC) which will allow users to train out the worm gears periodic errors, while the mount retains the PEC recordings.

Performance - For objects near the Meridian (imaginary line passing from North to South), the CGEM DX will track well past the Meridian for uninterrupted imaging through the most ideal part of the sky. The CGEM mount has a robust database with over 40,000 objects, 100 user defined programmable objects and enhanced information on over 200 objects.

Power Management - Redesigned electronics deliver constant regulated power to the motors making them capable of driving the telescope even when not perfectly balanced. This allows the CGEM DX to have the payload capacity of that of much larger mounts without sacrificing smooth tracking motion and pointing accuracy across the entire sky.

New Optical Design - EdgeHD

The EdgeHD optical system takes all of the compact power popularized by the Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) and combines it with an improved high definition optical system for wide field, astrograph quality images. As a visual instrument, EdgeHD optics deliver pinpoint images even with your widest field eyepiece. You can search for all of the Messier Catalog objects, and see hundreds of other equally interesting NGC, IC and Caldwell objects with amazing clarity. For astroimaging, the EdgeHD optics produce aberration-free images across your favorite CCD or DSLR camera. All EdgeHD optics are designed to produce an extremely flat focal plane precise enough to match the strict tolerances of the largest commercial CCD detectors, allowing all stars to be in tight focus to the very edge of the chip.

Diffraction Limited

Some companies boast that their telescopes give diffraction limited stars in the very center of the field of view. EdgeHD optics not only produce diffraction limited stars on axis, but maintain diffraction limited stars across the entire field of view of many of the most popular astrophotography cameras.

Even at the very edge of a full frame camera chip, the EdgeHD 14" delivers star sizes of only 1 arc second!

Along with the newly designed optics, the EdgeHD also has re-designed mechanics guaranteed to help you get the maximum performance from your instrument.

Features Include:

Mirror Locks – To hold the mirror in place and reduce image shift during imaging.

Tube Vents - Each vent has an integrated 60 micron micro-mesh filter allowing hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror.

Fastar Versatility – All EdgeHD optical tubes are equipped with a removable secondary mirror for fast f/2 CCD imaging. Not only does imaging in the FASTAR configuration allow for exposure times that are 25 times faster than at f/10, but also yields a field of view five times wider. The perfect combination for imaging your favorite wide field objects in a fraction of the time. (FASTAR imaging requires a third party lens assembly in place of the secondary mirror).

82° Eyepiece - EdgeHD 11" optical tubes come with Celestron's top of the line 2" barrel eyepiece. With a 23 mm focal length and 82° AFOV, you get an incredible combination of power and wide field of view. Plus this 6-element eyepiece is optimized to deliver pinpoint images when used with a flat field telescope. Learn more about the benefits and features of this new optical system by going to the EdgeHD web page. The EdgeHD 14" optics produce a focal plane three-times flatter than the standard equivalent SCT telescope with diffraction limited stars to the very edge of the SBIG STL6303 field of view!

Celestron CGEM DX 1100 HD - General Features

11"; EdgeHD Optics

New Celestron CGEM DX Computerized Equatorial Mount

Celestron's premium StarBright XLT coatings

9x50 finderscope to help accurately find objects

Ultra sturdy 2.75" steel tripod with Accessory Tray

Star diagonal provides more comfortable viewing position when observing objects that are high in the sky

Celestron CGEM DX 1100 HD - HD Features

New aplanatic Schmidt telescope design produces aberration-free images across a wide field of view

Mirror tension locks hold the primary mirror in place and reduce image shift

Cooling vents allow hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror

Fastar compatible for fast f/2 imaging

Celestron CGEM DX 1100 HD - Computerized Mount Features

Proven NexStar computer control technology

40,000 object database with over 100 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200 objects

Secure power plug ensures that the mount's power source is not accidentally disconnected

Celestron All-Star Polar Alignment Technology

All-Star Polar Alignment TechnologyGerman Equatorial Mounts (GEM) have long since been recognized as the mount of choice for astrophotography. Needing to track in only one axis for long exposures; adjustable counterweights and tube position for perfect balance, the GEM has few short comings when it comes to imaging. In order to do long-exposure astro-imaging, an equatorially aligned telescope is needed to allow your telescope to properly track the motion of the sky. However accurate tracking still depends on an accurate polar alignment. Even with a visible star very near the North Celestial Pole (NCP), the true celestial pole can be a very elusive place to find without assistance.

Now select Celestron mounts can utilize a new innovative Polar alignment procedure called All-Star™. All-Star allows users to choose any bright star, while the software calculates and assists with polar alignment.

Here's how it works.

Once your telescope is aligned with two bright star, All-Star allows you to choose any bright star listed in the NexStar hand control to assist in accurately aligning your telescope's mount with the North Celestial Pole. Using the telescope's Sync function, the mount is able to point and center a bright star with a high degree of accuracy. Once centered, the mount will point the telescope to the exact position that the star should be if the mount were precisely polar aligned. By simply adjusting the mounts altitude and azimuth controls to re-center the star in the center of the eyepiece, you are actually moving the mounts polar axis to the exact position of the North Celestial Pole.

FAQ

Can I use Polaris to polar align my telescope?Since Polaris is very close to the NCP and not very bright, it is actually not a recommended star for the "All-Star" method. The advantages of being able to use stars other than Polaris are two fold:

Polaris is not always visible. So not only can you use a variety of other stars but they are also brighter and more prominent.The star you choose will be farther away from the NCP thus allowing for greater accuracy when centering the star in your eyepiece.

Which stars are best to use for polar aligning?For best results choose a bright alignment star that is near the Meridian, preferably close to the celestial equator. Try to avoid stars that are close to the west/east horizon or directly overhead because they can be more difficult to center using the mount's altitude and azimuth controls. Also stars too near the celestial pole are less accurate than those further away.

Will I lose my alignment after I polar align?No, the mount will retain its alignment but some amount of accuracy may be compromised depending on how much the mount has been moved during polar alignment. Although the telscopes tracking may be very good, pointing accuracy may need to be improved, especially if you are trying to located small objects on a ccd chip.

What are the steps to polar align my telescope using "All-Star" polar alignment?

Align the telescope with the sky using the "Two-Star Alignment" method.

Select a suitable bright star from the Hand Control's database and slew the telescope to the star.

The telescope will then re-slew to the alignment star and ask you to center it in the eyepiece in order to "Sync" on the star.

The telescope will slew to the position that the star should be if it were accurately polar aligned.

Use the mounts altitude and azimuth adjustments to place the star in the center of the eyepiece and press the Align button.

Update the telescope's star alignment if necessary.

Supplier SKU

11002

Dimensions & Specifications

Aperture

280mm

Brand

Celestron

Eyepiece 1

23mm (122x)

Features

Equatorial Mount GoTo

Finderscope

9x50

Focal Length

2800mm

Focal Ratio

f/10

Highest Useful Magnification

661x

Mount Design

German Equatorial

Object Database

40000 objects

Objective Lens Size Code

280

Optical Design

EdgeHD Optics

Recommended Usage

Astrophotography

Star Diagonal

2 inch

Telescopes Series

Celestron CGEM Telescopes

User Level

For the Expert

Weight Complete

160 lbs.

Configuration

StarBright XLT Optical Coating

Product Guarantee

We stand behind all the products we sell, and your satisfaction is our top priority. If you're not satisfied with the quality of your purchase, simply send the item back to us in its original packaging within 30 days of its delivery.

Manufacturer Warranty

Default manufacturer warranty.

Return & Exchange Policy

At our site, returns are easy! You may return new, unused, and resalable items for a refund or exchange. Simply ensure that the item is returned in its original product packaging within 30 days of delivery.

Ask The Experts

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